'India will protect farmers' interests against all odds', says Commerce Minister Sitharaman

Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said that the government is committed to protecting the interests of its farmers against all odds while reiterating its commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

Making a statement in the Lok Sabha regarding "India's Stand in the WTO", Sitharaman said: India stood firm on its demands despite immense pressure. The Government of India is committed to protecting the interests of our farmers against all odds. Our farmers work in extremely adverse conditions, most of them at the mercy of the vagaries of the monsoon, aggravated today by climate change."

" For farmers in many developing countries farming is a subsistence activity, not a commercial one. We are committed to their welfare and I am grateful for the support and understanding extended by farmers' organizations in this cause," she added.

She said New Delhi will be able to persuade the WTO membership to appreciate the sensitivities of India and other developing countries and see their way to taking the issue forward in a positive spirit.

"This would be a major contribution by this institution towards meeting the global challenge of food insecurity and would convey a strong message that .the WTO is genuinely committed to the cause of development," she added.

The minister said the timely correction of any imbalances or anomalies in the working of the system or its rules is critical to ensure that the WTO works impartially fairly in the interest of all its members and not just a select few.

She said food security is a human concern especially in these times of uncertainty and volatility. Issues of development and food security are critical to a vast swathe of humanity and cannot be sacrificed to mercantilist considerations, she added.

The minister said agriculture is the mainstay of the Indian population. She said, in a country of the size of India with 60 per cent of the population dependent on a relatively unremunerative agriculture sector, the country cannot give up administered prices.

She said this is the only way the country can procure food for the Public Distribution system. She said Public stockholding is a widely used means to ensure food security in many developing countries where agriculture is largely rain-fed.

She further said the integrity of India's stand is reflected in our unwavering efforts to offer a way forward in the face of criticism.

"Even on 31 July 2014, India offered a way to achieve not only a permanent solution on the issue of public stockholding for food security but also to implement the Trade Facilitation Agreement in the agreed timeframe as well as deliver favourable outcomes for LDCs," she added.